HERE'S THE BOOK I WROTE...

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Claude Monet (1840-1926) spent the last 43 years of his life at Giverny, an hour northwest of Paris, creating the paintings for which he is most revered. He had rented the house in 1883 and by 1890, was successful enough to buy it. With two acres of land, Monet composed his famous gardens with an impressionist’s care for color and form. He had his large family and seven gardeners to help him, but always remained the visionary choreographer, providing precise designs and layouts for plantings.

Drawing upon the words of Monet and his contemporaries, the just-released Monet at Giverny (Garden Art Press) is a celebration of this unique artistic mind…and offers a wealth of horticultural detail. With more than 150 illustrations (photos, engravings, garden views, etc.), this gorgeous 192-page hardcover will delight any art or garden lover….and every Francophile.

Monet at Giverny was released in the UK early this month and is just now hitting bookstores in the US.

Author Caroline Holmes is a garden historian, lecturer, author and designer. Her other books include VictorianGardens, Follies of Europe—Architectural Extravaganzas and A Zest for Herbs. She lives in Suffolk and lectures regularly at the Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Cambridge and the Royal Horticultural Society.

Because getting free stuff for you, dear reader, is one of my biggest pleasures, I rang up the publisher and finagled a few books to give away. To enter, simply click COMMENTS below and say something nice…three lucky readers will win a copy. Please be sure to leave your email address--signing in with your Google account is not enough. (Hint: Be creative and you stand a better chance of winning.)

To read more about this beautiful book, click here. To order it from Amazon US, click here. To order from Amazon UK, click here. To see what other lovely books the same company distributes, check their website here.

43 comments:

Having been to Giverny to Monet's home, I must say that spring when the wisteria is in bloom makes it very special, The colors of the house have inspired me as his love for Japanesse prints, If only I could have a garden like his,

I’d love to win this book. As an expat living in France for the last six years, I’ve discovered that Monet is by far and away my favorite French artist. Standing before his water lily series, I feel like drowning in the sublime ecstatic beauty of his impressionistic vision. The colors! Plus it would make up for the Fermeture Exceptionnelle when I went to visit the gardens at Giverny …ruthmcveigh@gmail.com

I’d love to win this book. As an expat living in France for the last six years, I’ve discovered that Monet is by far and away my favorite French artist. Standing before his water lily series, I feel like drowning in the sublime ecstatic beauty of his impressionistic vision. The colors! Plus it would make up for the Fermeture Exceptionnelle when I went to visit the gardens at Giverny …

My wife would adore this book - as a landscape architect based in Aix she loves to read the details about famous and not so famous gardens in France. Our two visits to Giverny left us with photos and our memories, this book would add to them.Simon

Giverny is one of the magical places on this earth. I visited in June 2009 very early in the morning, before the daily wave of tourists started invading these beautiful gardens. The air was filled with the scents of all the flowers mixed with their visual beauty was a gift for all the senses. This is a place that must be visited more than once to appreciate its treasures, which seem to have been successfully reproduced in this beautiful book.

I really want to present this book to my husband as it represents one of his favourite places of the world.

To be in Monet's gardens again would justify our adoration of his waterlilies paintings, and would inspire us to visit from our home in Provence - nothing much will inspire us to leave this beautiful area, but this certainly would.

Once I saw the avalanche of nasturtiums cascading along the walk at Giverny, I was smitten. Not only is the plant a riot of color, it is a culinary coup...leaves, flowers & seeds. I can imagine Monet pausing to pluck a stem or two for his midday lunch. O to be at Giverny again courtesy of Caroline Holmes. Your pal, Harry

My dream is to visit Giverny. One of my favorite quotes is Monet's: “More than anything, I must have flowers, always, always.”Prior to my visit of Musee de l'Orangerie in Paris (so close to Giverny, and yet so far), I hadn't known that Monet's Waterlilies were there. I came into the room and promptly burst into happy tears at my unexpected discovery. Receiving a copy of your beautiful book would make me happy everytime I opened it.

I would really love to have the book to hold me over until the time when I can get to Giverny to see for myself the real inspiration for many of Monet's great works. The Orangerie was beautiful and the originals at Gare D'Orsay and the Chicago Art Institute but I can never get enough of such beauty. I would love to have the book. Jimjwehrle@haciendatresrios.com

Monet's Table is a book I cherish. I have it in my library since 1990 and reach for it often. The prospect of having a copy of this new book istruly exciting. I can't wait to look, read and gaina sense of the history asociiated with Monet andhis life and work at Giverny.

I recently visited Giverny and would love the book as another reference for the article I'm planning to write. I've written on Monet for Changai Magazine (Singapore) so I'm familiar with his work. Still, the garden was a revelation.

I've been to Giverny when it first opens and when it's closing and many times in the middle of the season. My photos don't do it justice but they bring back many fond memories. I'm sure this book wounld expand those memories.valetast@live.com

I love Monet. When I went on my dream trip to Paris, my pick for the week was the L'Orangerie to see the place he picked to display some of his large lily paintings. Absolutely beautiful.tcarter@comcast.net

My daughter and I visited Giverny a few years ago; she is now approaching her 21st birthday in two weeks and I would love to present this book to her! She loves sunflowers and we often remember how she sat on a little bridge at the garden and splashed her feet in the cold brook running nearby. A cold, rainy November in New York City would certainly be brightened owning this book!Debbi (deborat@aol.com)

I was lucky enough to be able to have visited the gardens at Giverny in 2010, and you could easily see why Monet painted in this incredible atmosphere. His works were, and are still ethereal and inspirational.

About 20 years ago, straight out of college, my sister and I went to Paris. From there, she dragged me to visit Giverny. I had no idea what was there, but on the train going there, we had met two lovely American women who were traveling together too. They were twice our age then and gave us tips on how to travel together, how to create a "kitty", how not to get into each others nerves, and all that. Giverny was spectacular and I've loved it ever since. On the train back to Paris with the same women, my sister kept us in suspense as she told us, in complete detail, the whole story of the movie "A Room with a View". Traveling with my sister opened my eyes to a lot of things. I have many wonderful memories traveling with her when we were much younger. I'd like to give this book to her if I'm so lucky as to win it! vicki2201@mac.com

My 10 year old son, Alexandre is Monet's biggest fan. When we visited Giverny, he couldn't bear to leave the gardens. He had his DS which is a fancy gizmo that takes photos (along with playing games), and he created a an amazing 10 minute slide show of his visit.

Standing on the famous Japanese Bridge sent shivers up my spine. To think this IS the bridge that Claude painted was inspirational.

Claude Monet truly is one of the greatest painters and in my books, the godfather of the Impressionist movement.

And if you're in Paris, one must visit the Musée Marmottan in the 16th Arr. It houses the largest collection of Monet paintings in the world.

I know that Alexandre would be honored to receive this book - to nurture his love of painting...and Monet.

This past August I was able to get the Sheepfarmer to take his very first vacation. He is 58 years old. He had been very ill the past year and this trip was a celebration as well as his way of thanking me...I put my career aside and with 2 neighbors we managed to keep the place afloat while he fought his battle and recuperated. This country boy went on this vacation for me but he fell in love with Paris and her art . One of his favorite visits while there was seeing the Monet panels at the Orangerie. Although he is definitely "auto-instruit" he had never seen a painting "in person". At the Orangerie he simply sat down on the cool bench in the center of the room and let the paintings and his tears flood over him. It is a moment we will never forgot. This book would be a way to give him back that moment :)

Would love a copy of the book as my husband and I adore Monet and his house and garden in Giverny.

The gardens are mind blowing - but the house is also wonderful. I designed my kitchen based on Monet's. When a Monet exhibition came to Australia, the gallery shop was selling individual tiles that were copies of Monet's kitchen tiles - so to the astonishment of the assistant I ordered enough to tile my kitchen splashbacks and combined them with corian bench tops (same background colour as tile) and jarrah (a deep Australian redwood) cabinetry. Monet used Japanese prints in his dining room which contrast so splendidly with the French provincial setting - so, influenced by this I decided to contrast the French feel of my kitchen with Australian aboriginal art - pictures and a small wood/feather sculpture all with the theme of women, families gathered together and food. It's quite unique I think as the tiles were made and sold under licence and no-one else bought enough to use them in this way. Email address is gwpdmcdonald@bigpond.com

Such a wonderful Saturday morning greeting. I sit here looking at a number of image-filled books about Monet on the shelves in front of me. Our 30-something son is an artist. To receive the give-away would be double the pleasure!! Thanks for the opportunity.

I can still remember seeing the Monet paintings on my very first trip to Paris in the Musée Orangerie. It was breathtaking, I've not yet made it to Giverney, but I will one day! Thanks for running the competition.jacqui.brown@orange.fr

Impression, inspiration, creativity. I need these three things day to day to feel the spring on every cold and sad day, need the nature to show me clarity and need its winds to breathe in for an eternity.

I haven't been to monet's house. I have been to Alphonse Daudet's house (all I remember is peacocks! well, I was only 12...). And, I've seen the Monet exhibition at the RA...and some of the pictures at Musee d'Orsay. So perhaps if I had the book, I'd feel I really needed to see the real thing?

Monet at Giverny... such a gorgeous glimpse of Monet's France wrapped up in a rainbow of color, history and horticulture.

For me...the book offers amazingly, wonderful seeds of inspiration... gardens to awaken the senses and to nurture the blossoming of my fledgling French language learning and my love of all things French.

Until, I can manage my much longed for visit in person, Monet's Giverny would be my bridge across the waters into the world of Monet and la belle France.